Satisfaction with and Utilization of Prenatal Care.

摘要

Improving access to prenatal care is viewed as a key strategy for decreasing the incidence of low birthweight and infant mortality in the United States. However, a significant portion of the Nation's women, particularly low-income and minority women, still fail to obtain adequate prenatal care. In fact, approximately 32 percent of African-American women who start prenatal care by the fourth month of pregnancy receive less than adequate care. One fact that may affect prenatal care utilization is patient satisfaction with care. Studies of prenatal care characteristics that affect women's satisfaction have had a host of methodological problems, and only two studies have considered the relationship between satisfaction and prenatal care utilization. The information gained from this study can be used in the design of interventions or in the development of policy changes to increase the use of prenatal care by pregnant women, particularly African-American women.